Fragments of Affection
by SongofSammael
Summary: Harry thought that he was going to have an ordinary summer – that was until he came across a blond enigma, who carried more secrets than Harry could even imagine. AU 6th Year. SLASH/Yaoi Sephiroth/Cloud/Harry
1. Delivery

**AN: **So this story's been in the works for a while, nut I've only now gotten around to posting it. The story has a clear, defined path to follow, and I've gotten a few more chapters written, and I will update as often as possible.

For those of you who don't know, this is a **yaoi** story, which is boyxboy smut. Don't like that, simply click the back button. And the pairing is Sephiroth/Cloud/Harry. Yep, you got it, a threesome story. I hope I don't disappoint…

Enjoy ;)

It was the faint humming that drew Nagini to her master. It was something she rarely heard, and it only took place when her master was happy. Nagini liked it when her master was happy, because that meant she could have extra snacks. Her long body slid silently over the stone floor, her scales reflecting the light from the flickering torches. Extra snacks made her scales more beautiful, another reason why she liked her master happy.

The humanoid figure was seated in an old, rickety chair in a room that smelt of dust and mould; Nagini flicked out her tongue in displeasure. While she liked her master happy, she sometimes wished he could be happy somewhere where there was lots of warm sunlight. She knew being in places like this, filled with books, books, and more books relaxed him though, so she didn't begrudge him.

The humming suddenly stopped, and a laugh filled with delight rang in the air. The snake slid onto the desk her master sat at, curious as to what made him so gleeful.

She flicked her tongue out, tasting the musty air that surrounded the book he gazed at, finding it no different to any of the others she had encountered. She decided to voice her curiosity, _"Master, what is it that makes you happy? And may I have a snack?"_

Her master gave another laugh, his crimson eyes narrowed with pleasure. He reached out a pale, long nailed hand and stroked her head, causing her to let out a content hiss.

"_My dear Nagini,_" He replied. _"I believe I have found the answer I have been searching for all this time. With this, I can finally take what is rightfully mine – what I deserve…"_

She watched as her master stroked the pages of the book, unable to make out any of the squiggly lines. There was one thing she did understand though – there was a picture there, one that even she could appreciate the beauty of. A two legged being bathed in starlight silver and eyes like her masters.

"_Tell me Nagini, do you know of the Lifestream?" _Nagini tilted her head in curiosity. All magical creatures instinctively knew of the Lifestream – it is the very thing that kept the planet they resided on alive, and every creature, great or small, had a connection to.

Her master stroked her head and continued. _"The Lifestream is made up of all the souls who have died, and they keep the planet alive. When a person, wizard, muggle, or creature dies, they become a part of the Lifestream… It holds so much power…_

"_The Cetra. Heaven's dark harbinger," _Lord Voldemort whispered. _"The Calamity… Jenova… and Sephiroth. Finally…"_

Nagini watched as her master reverently closed the heavy book and stood with a rustle of black robes. He gently picked the book up and started humming again as he made his way out of the room. He paused in the doorway and glanced at the snake with his inhuman crimson eyes. _"Would you like some dinner, Nagini?"_

The snake gave a happy hiss and followed her master. Yes, she did like it when her master was in a good mood.

**Chapter I - Delivery**

Already the first day of the summer holidays, and I didn't want to wake up. It was that same nightmare again – the same images that constantly flashed in my mind whenever I closed my eyes. The Department of Mysteries, Sirius falling through the veil, unable to do anything… I didn't want to wake up, because I knew if I faced the world, it would be without Sirius.

I sighed as Aunt Petunia's voice echoed through the house, driving away the last remnants of sleep. I stayed like that for a while, laying under the warm covers and staring up at the faded, cracking ceiling. Any teen would be ecstatic that it was the first day of the holidays, but not me. While all of my friends are out doing something productive, I had to stay put_. _While they were out fighting a war, I was in _hiding_. They wanted me to be happy, they wanted me to move on, but being cooped up like this certainly wasn't going to help.

I sighed again and threw and arm over hazy eyes. It was going to be a long summer.

I began my day just as I had every day since I had turned eleven; I got up, got dressed in my cousin's ratty old clothes, attempted to fix my hair into something respectable and failed, went downstairs and helped my Aunt with breakfast, then distanced myself from the house as fast as possible. I didn't care that I was supposed to stay put because of the blood wards; I felt too restless, and with the added guilt of Sirius's death weighing on my shoulders I felt like I needed to get away from everything.

For a few days I wandered around London, having taken the muggle buses to and from, and spending hours looking around, sometimes even buying a few things that caught my eye with some of the money from my vault that I transferred into muggle money. It was boring really, but definitely better than staying at the Dursleys. I was tempted just to pack up my stuff and stay at a hotel for the remainder of the holidays, but I knew that would be pushing just a little too far. I was supposed to be under the Order's watchful eyes after all, and making them angry wasn't on my to-do list.

The notion that it wasn't just going to be a regular summer registered in my brain about a week before my birthday. I had gotten out of the house later than usual due to one of Uncle Vernon's angry lectures, and sported a nice, purpling bruise on my arm from where he had pushed me into a wall. I got to London, not really paying attention to what street I was on and started wandering around. There were a few people about, all of them looking to be in no rush as they browsed the shops that lined the streets. It was a rather nice place, I figured. Lots of little shops and cafes, with streets clean of rubbish and no graffiti lined walls. I wasn't paying much attention as I wandered around, and the result was crashing into another person.

The impact sent me to the ground, sending my glasses flying. The person I bumped into gave an amused apology and helped me too my feet, along with handing me my slightly bent glasses. I was about to thank them, before I realised who it was I had bumped into.

I grimaced. It was one of Dudley's friends, and all hope that he hadn't recognised me vanished when I saw the dark, appreciative glint in his eyes.

Once again, it seemed like my luck had deserted me.

The teen had a large grin on his face as he suddenly gripped my arm and dragged me into a nearby alleyway and slammed me into the wall. The impact jarred me and I let out a pained gasp; my arm was still hurting, and the way the teen held me against the wall, crushing me with his body weight certainly wasn't helping.

I stared up at the teen through skewed glasses and felt a twisting sensation of fear grip my heart. The teen (whose name I couldn't remember for the life of me) was staring at me with lecherous eyes and an ominous shiver tingled down my spine. While never directed at me, I knew what that look meant.

"Damn Potter," he said, his grin widening. "You look better than the last time I saw you."

I couldn't say anything – my throat felt constricted and I could barely breathe. The alley wasn't a dead end – it opened on the street I was just on and exited on a different one, and it was lined with back doors that belonged to some of the shops, garbage bins and crates. If I could just escape the brute's hold, maybe I could reach one of the entrances and bolt for the nearest crowded area. I grit my teeth in revulsion when the boy pressed against me harder, and feeling the proof of his desire made me want to vomit. Swallowing back the bile that tried to crawl up, I plastered what I hoped to be a flirtatious smile on my lips. I looked the teen in his eyes and said, "The same couldn't be said for you."

Then I raised my leg, kneed him in the groin and darted to the right. The street that the bus dropped me at was just a few feet away – hopefully if I ran into one of the cafés the boy wouldn't be dumb enough to follow. However, what I didn't count on was the boy reaching out and tripping me. I hit the ground hard and curses spilled from my lips as pain shot up my knees and elbows from the impact. I tried kicking the teen's grip off my leg, but had no such luck. With a tug, I was on my back with him straddling my legs, preventing me from kicking any more, and my hands were pinned to the ground. The teen's face was a mask of rage, and the fear and panic bubbling in me mingled into one. My wand was in a holster on my arm, one of the last gift's Sirius had given me before he died, and with my arms trapped like this I had no chance of reaching it.

I was instantly regretting not pulling out my wand earlier. It didn't matter that using magic outside of school would have gotten me expelled – surely it would be better than getting raped? I couldn't do anything, struggling was useless and –

A loud roaring noise dragged me from my panicked thoughts, and for a brief moment I thought there was a dragon rampaging across London. But it was a stupid thought, which was made clear when an enormous black motorcycle came tearing into the alley, barely stopping before it ran both me and the teen over.

There was a beat, and then the rider of the bike slid gracefully to the ground and strode towards us, a fierce scowl on his face. He was admittedly one of the strangest… one of the most beautiful people I had ever seen. Despite driving what looked like a death trap on wheels, he wore no helmet, and his blond hair was practically gravity defying, spiking up in every direction. He was handsome – an angular, soft face that was pretty even with the terrifying scowl. But it was his eyes that drew me in the most – they were a blue so bright they put the sky to shame, and glowed with a strange light; they were unnatural.

My first thought was: _this guy can't be human._ My second one was: _Oh thank Merlin I'm saved!_

"What do you think you're doing?" The strange blond spoke. His stance was tense, defensive, as if he were about to attack, and the teen finally released me and scrambled to his feet. He looked absolutely terrified, and after he spat out a few garbled apologies, he bolted for the opposite end of the alley and was gone.

I remained on the ground, staring up at the stranger with wide yes. The stranger looked back and raised an eyebrow in question. "Are you alright?"

I opened and closed my mouth a few times, unable to form a response, and the blond man offered a leather gloved hand. I took it, suddenly feeling very tired, and he pulled me to my feet, bringing us face to face. The thing was, I certainly wasn't tall for my age (probably from all those years in the 'caring' hands of the Dursleys), but when next to the blond guy, I didn't feel as short as I was compared to, say, Ron. The blond was only a few inches taller than me, but he was broader, and from what I could see, packed some serious muscle while still appearing slender. He looked good. Really, really good.

Heat suffused my cheeks when I realized I had been staring, and I quickly looked away and mumbled, "Thanks."

Then I frowned slightly. Thanks for what, exactly? Thanks for showing up and stopping me from getting molested in an alley way? I paled when the realisation hit me, and felt my stomach churn again. I'd almost been raped in an alley. Fuck.

It was only when a calming hand was placed on my shoulder and I was directed over to a nearby crate that I realised I was hyperventilating. The blond pushed me onto the crate and gently told me to place my head between my knees and try to breathe deeply. He rubbed my back, and slowly the nausea ebbed away and it no longer felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest. My eyes stung with unshed tears, but I blinked them away, refusing to let them fall. I hadn't cried since Sirius died, and I refused to do so in front of a stranger, even is said stranger just saved me. Being weak and susceptible to emotion is what got Sirius killed.

"Are you ok now?"

I took one last, deep breath before looking up into the blond man's bright blue eyes. My cheeks warmed at the intensity in which he stared at me; as corny as it sounds, it felt as if he was staring not _at_ me, but _through_ me, into my very soul.

"I-I'm fine," I stuttered out. "J-just shaken up."

My flush deepened as I struggled with something else to say, but the strange blond merely gave a small smile – which was really just a twitch of the lips.

Feeling extremely self-conscious, I stood up and brushed off my slightly dirty clothes, trying to ignore the way the blond was still there, watching me with a blank expression, a strange glint in his unnaturally bright eyes.

"Umm… Is there something you need, Mr…?" I shifted my feet awkwardly, wiling the stupid blush on my face to fade. I was starting to get a bit unnerved by the staring, and a part of me wondered whether this guy had only saved me to kill me himself or something. What if this guy was a Death Eater? What if he was going to capture me and take me to Voldemort? My hand twitched, and I almost reached for my wand.

I froze when the blond's eyes darted to my hand, catching the movement, and his smile (smirk really, now that I thought about it) widened, and he spoke in a smooth voice that sent a slight shiver down my spine. "Strife. My name's Cloud Strife."

He held out a gloved hand and, hesitantly, I shook it and replied, "Harry Potter."

His grip was strong and careful – I could feel the power the strange blond wielded with this simple action, and it only made me all the more weary.

Who the hell was this guy?

The blond, Cloud, released me and took a step back, finally giving me some space, though he still watched me intently. "You might want to get that checked out," He gestured to my knees, which I just noticed were leaking blood sluggishly through the jeans. The fall I took when Dudley's friend tipped me must have been worse than I thought, and I hissed lightly when the dull, throbbing pain registered in my mind.

I was about to blurt out some excuse so I could get out of this alley and away from the strange man when he turned on his heel and beckoned me to follow him. He was clearly heading to one of the doors, one of his hands pulling out a ring of keys from his black cargo pants.

When I didn't move, the blond looked over his shoulder with slight amusement. "If you come with me I can fix your knees. I promise not to kill you and hide your body."

The flush reappeared on my cheeks, and ignoring all of my misgivings, I limped after Cloud. Yes, I realized the blond could be a murderer, or a Death Eater, but I honestly didn't think he was. Granted, I've definitely made a few bad choices and decisions in my life, but when I gingerly stepped past the blond, who stood inside what I guessed to be _his_ apartment (since he had ended up in the alley anyway, and the bike was parked right outside), I felt like I was making the right choice.

My very soul seemed to hum with approval.

The door closed gently behind me.

Good choice or bad choice, either way I had a feeling things were about to become very strange, and the summer was definitely going to get a lot more interesting.


	2. Enigma

**AN:** Thank you all to those who have favourited and reviewed! I'm glad you like it.

**Chapter 2 - Enigma**

When I followed Cloud into the apartment, I didn't know what to expect; it certainly wasn't the plain walls with what appeared to be dozens of shelves, filled with books on topics from mechanics to horror fiction. The entire space seemed bigger than it appeared from the outside, and as the blond led me through a plain, cream-walled hallway into a modest kitchen, I once again found myself wondering, _who was this guy?_

The blond made no attempt at conversation; I got the feeling that he was usually like that, so I kept my mouth shut, despite the many questions buzzing around my mind - I just followed his lead. I wasn't regretting my decision, but I was beginning to feel a little out of my depth.

The kitchen was small, equipped with a gas stove and oven, a refrigerator and various cupboards, and a table that dominated most of the space that was once again covered in books and loose sheets of paper.

Cloud pointed to one of the many mismatched chairs around that table and ordered, "Sit." Before continuing on into another room. I obeyed cautiously, suddenly filled with the irrational feeling that he was going to eat me. I immediately berated myself. It was like I was getting more stupid as the minutes passed. A few moments later the blond returned with a first aid kit and knelt in front me, and I found myself blushing again as he rolled up my pant legs so he could get to my knees.

As the blond patched up my knees, I observed my surroundings as discreetly as I could, trying to distract myself from the way Cloud's hands brushed lightly over my skin. While every available surface seemed to be covered in books, everything else was spotless – I got a distinct feeling that the man lived alone, and he didn't get many visitors.

I was brought out of my observations when the object of my thoughts rose gracefully to his feet again and deposited the first-aid kit on the only clear spot on the table and made his way over to the fridge.

"Would you like a drink?" He asked softly as he rifled through the fridge's contents.

I cleared my throat and stuttered out, "N-no, it's fine. You've already helped me a lot today…"

I looked down at my patched up knees, which were covered in a light wrapping of bandages. Really, already the stranger had done a lot for me, and I didn't want to impose…

Cloud hummed and when I looked at him I saw the blond was leaning against the fridge, a bottle of water in his hand and gazing at me with the same strange glint in his eyes from before.

"Do you always wander around the backstreets of London by yourself?" He asked, and I carded my hand through my hair in embarrassment.

"Not always…" I replied. "I was just exploring. I don't often get the chance to come to London, and today was one of the few days I could get away from… home. And that was the first time someone ever…" I trailed off, inwardly cursing as my blush deepened.

"It was a good thing I drove by when I did." Cloud stated. "I know that boy, he's been prowling the streets for a while now, but he's never done anything too bad, so he's generally ignored. Did you know him? He seemed awfully eager to… get your attention."

I grimaced. "Yeah, I know him, but I can't remember his name. He was a friend of my cousin, and I hadn't seen him in a while." I paused for a moment, then said, "I guess it was luck that you live here."

A ghost of a smile crossed the blond's lips. "Yes, luck. Lucky that I was coming back from my last delivery."

Yeah, luck. I gave an annoyed sigh. First it gets me into trouble, and then I'm saved by it. Sometimes I wished it would make up its damned mind.

"Thanks again…" I murmured, glancing down at the tiled floor. "For saving me. And doing this." I gestured to my legs, and then rolled my pant legs down, once again feeling embarrassed.

"It was no problem." Cloud walked around the table to stand in front of me again, and stared at me with his blue, blue eyes. "Would you like a lift home?"

"No!" I blurted out. "I mean, you've already done so much for me! I'll just take a bus back-"

The blond waved away my words with a scoff and small frown. "Nonsense. I'll give you a ride; besides, it will be dark soon, the public transport will be crowded with creeps."

Before I could protest, the blond had me by the hand and was gently leading me back through the halls and into the alley. Cloud straddled the bike and gestured for me to hope up behind him, and I did so, but hesitated when I realised I would have to hold onto his waist.

"You're going to have to hold on if you don't want to fall off." The blond stated blandly, and with a blush I complied. I could feel how hard the blond's muscles were, and my blush deepened. I tried to distract myself with other inane thoughts after I whispered my address to the strange guy (new friend?), and before I could be distracted again, we were off, and a startled scream caught in my throat.

My immediate thought was _Oh merlin I'm going to die!_ Then, _why the hell didn't he offer me a helmet or something? He's going to crash and kill us both!_

But as seconds passed and the shock died down, I found myself thinking, _this is actually pretty cool._

The speed Cloud was going, the twists and the turns, it was almost like flying, and I found myself wanting to remain like this.It was over way to quickly for my liking and I slid off the bike with disappointment when Cloud parked right outside the Dursleys house. I felt self-conscious as the blond looked at me with amusement – I had clung to him pretty tightly, and he was still pretty much a stranger.

"Thanks." I smiled hesitantly, and then winced when I realised I thanked the blond again. Was that the third time?

Cloud only smiled slightly and said, "Next time, be a little more careful when you explore. Have a nice evening, Harry."

Then he gunned the engine, and he and the massive bike were gone.

I remained out on the street, lost in thought. When I realized I had been standing there for more than a few minutes, I hurriedly made my way inside the place I refused to think of as 'home' – my plans of going to my room and thinking some more were halted however, when Aunt Petunia stuck her horse like neck around the kitchen door and hissed, "Who was that? Why were you out so late?"

I glared at her frostily, extremely tempted to spit out that it was none of her business, but decided that doing so would not be productive. Instead, I simply muttered, "It was a friend. He gave me a lift home because he didn't want me taking the bus this late at night."

Her expression soured significantly. "Were they… one of _them_?"

I rolled my eyes, "No, he wasn't a wizard."

I brushed past her and nearly ran to my room, intent on escaping further questioning, and hoping to avoid my cousin and uncle. Luck didn't turn against me this time, and I arrived at my room without disturbance; once inside I closed the door and made my way over to where Hedwig's cage sat on my desk. The snowy owl gave a hoot in greeting and the annoyed scowl on my face melted into a smile.

"Hey girl," I cooed and stuck a finger through the bars to stroke her soft, white feathers. "I met an interesting person today, but I don't really know what to make of him…"

I recounted my day to the owl, but I didn't feel silly about it. Hedwig was intelligent – more so than a lot of people I knew and I enjoyed talking to the owl. Hedwig would never judge me the way everyone else always seemed to.

When I talked about Cloud, I couldn't help but mull over what I told Petunia. Cloud wasn't a wizard – at least I thought so, but I _knew_ he wasn't a muggle. There was just something about him that screamed supernatural – the way he moved was too graceful and silent, his eyes too uncanny and wise.

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to figure the blond out. It didn't help that he was extremely attractive, but I decided not to dwell on _that_ thought for too long. It was after a good few hours of thinking that I decided I would visit the blond again, and try to get some answers. If not that, then I at least wanted to get to know him… I want to become Cloud's friend if I could.

My mind made up, I got myself ready for bed. For once, I didn't dream of flashes of green light, insane laughter, and Sirius falling through a veil; I dreamed of a field of endless flowers, and a soft, peaceful lullaby.

The next day I found myself in the alley, wondering exactly what I was going to say to Cloud. I mean, it wasn't really polite to show up on someone's doorstep unannounced, but I didn't know what else to do. The blond man was an enigma; I wanted to find out everything about him that I could

I ignored the little voice in my head that told me it was also because he was attractive.

The alley was empty with no sign of Cloud's bike, and I felt a twinge of disappointment. Then I noticed the garage that was a few meter's down from Cloud's door, and I wondered if that was where Cloud usually put the monstrous bike instead of leaving it in the alley – it looked barely big enough to hold it.

My spirit's lifted; I paced over to the door and knocked loudly.

No response.

Then the disappointment came again. Cloud wasn't home.

I lingered there for a minute, wondering whether I should wait or come back later. There was no guarantee that he would be back soon – yesterday he said that he had come back from a delivery, so I guessed he ran his own business, and right now he might be out doing another one.

Just as I made my mind up about coming back later, I heard the familiar roar of Cloud's bike. A wide smile split across my face, and I was kind of shocked to realise how happy I was. Happy and nervous.

The bike shot through the alley and skidded to a stop in front of me, like yesterday, and just as gracefully the blond slid off. He was wearing an outfit similar to the one he wore before – black leather pants and coat, gloves and combat boots, no helmet, and a pair of goggles.

He also didn't look surprised to see me. His lips pulled up into a small smile as he pulled his goggles off and he said, "It's good to see you again, Harry. Go inside and make yourself at home."

That was it – no questions as to why I was there, just a simple acceptance that I was. I stood still for a moment, frozen, before I nodded and entered the apartment as Cloud went to put away the bike. I took my time walking down the hall, allowing my eyes to scan over the titles of the books, only recognising a few of them. Some of them even seemed to be in different languages, and my curiosity grew.

I entered the kitchen and paused, wondering whether I should go any further or wait for Cloud. The temptation was too great, and I looked around, spotting two doorways – one leading to another room and another to a staircase. Shrugging to myself, I peeked into the other room, unsurprised to find it filled with more books. It was larger than the kitchen – much larger, and I wondered briefly how big this place was. There was a big window facing the street, behind an old desk that was covered in files and books. There was also a telephone that appeared to have at least a dozen unread messages. While they were placed at the far corner of the room, there were several couches surrounding a small coffee table placed in the centre, surprisingly _not_ covered in books, but in CDs. The reason made sense when I spotted an enormous sound system placed against one of the walls.

_Hermione would love this guy,_ I thought absently.

"Go on and sit down," Cloud said softly from behind me, causing my heart to jump in my chest. Flushing at being caught snooping, I scurried into the room and gingerly sat on one of the couches, and Cloud remained in the doorway.

"Tea or coffee?" He asked. Blue, blue eyes stared at me intently, causing me to shiver.

"T-tea's fine." I murmured.

I heard him puttering around the kitchen (which is funny, because if anything the word 'puttering' did not suit Cloud at all), and I allowed myself a small smile. It all seemed so unreal – the past two days had been so strange. I wondered what Ron and Hermione would think of all this… would they support my actions? For all I knew Cloud _was_ a Death Eater, or some sort of dangerous creature. The very way he moved pointed towards him not being fully human. That thought didn't scare me though.

Hell, Lupin was a werewolf, and he'd tried to kill me once, but that was only because of the full moon. By then I was kind of use to life and death situations, so it honestly didn't surprise me. I reasoned that if Cloud meant me harm, he wouldn't have saved me, and I would either be in Voldemort's clutches or dead.

Since I was neither, I decided to put my faith into Cloud. But what would I tell him? Should I tell him I was a wizard?

The blond in question entered with two mugs and handed me one, before taking a seat next to me on the couch. I faintly wondered why he chose to sit next me when there were other free seats available, but I kept silent.

Cloud said nothing, merely stared into his cup (coffee, I noticed with distaste. Blech.); I took it upon myself to start the conversation. However, my mouth moved before I could think of what to say and I blurted out, "You must like to read a lot."

Cloud quirked an eyebrow at me and his lips curled slightly. "Yes; I did a lot of travelling when I was younger, and picked them up here and there. Some of the books are quiet rare."

_How much younger are we talking about? Because you hardly look 20. _"I think my friend Hermione would like to meet you. She loves reading."

Cloud nodded vaguely, his eyes distant. "Whenever I'm not doing deliveries I usually read to pass the time. That, and as you can see, listen to music."

I looked at the stacks of CDs and voiced my thoughts, "I don't think I've heard of any of these musicians…"

His smile widened, "My taste in music is as wide in variety as my taste in reading material."

We lapsed into silence again. The strange thing was I didn't feel awkward at all, and sitting next to the blond felt utterly natural. The only thing that made it uncomfortable was that it felt like something was missing, but for the life of me I couldn't tell what. I stalled for a moment, then said – well, stuttered really, which was starting to annoy me; what was it about this man that made me feel so self-conscious? – "I… I wanted to thank you again. For yesterday."

The blond shook his head and said, "There's really no need. It was only chance that I happened to be getting back from a delivery." He then frowned. It was something he did a lot I realised. "Speaking of deliveries, there's another I have to make in an hour."

Displeasure filled me. I'd only been here for what seemed like minutes, and the thought of going back to face the Dursleys filled me with dread. Cloud seemed to sense my discontent and smiled his small, sad smile. "You're welcome to stay here if you want. The delivery itself should only take an hour at most."

I looked at him in awe. "You'd trust me to stay here?"

He let out a short laugh, "Forgive me for saying this Harry, but you hardly seem threatening. Believe me when I say that you're probably one of the most trustworthy people I've met."

Strange that he'd say that – I've barely known him more than a day, and already he had this understanding about me? It was incredulous, but made me so damn happy that I inwardly cringed. It was pathetic really. What would the others think about me trusting so easily? What would the Order think?

I almost scowled at those thoughts. Who cares what they thought? They'd practically been ignoring me since the holidays. This was my chance to do what I wanted. It didn't matter if Cloud was dangerous. He hadn't hurt me, he'd saved me. He was a mystery I wanted to unravel, and I would do so, no matter how long it took.

I looked at Cloud and breathed with a smile, "Thank you."

TBC

**AN:** Review? Preeeeetty pleeeeeeeease?


	3. Birthday

**AN:** hey guys, sorry for the kinda late update, I find that I've enjoyed writing A Throne of Stars more than this, but I guess that's because it's advanced further and this is still in its beginning stages… But eh, it's coming along, even if the chapters are relatively short. Thank you to all of those who have reviewed, favourited and followed so far, it means a lot ^^

**ALSO! **I may have replied to reviews in my other profile. My bad XD I forgot, but please do know that I am **Mah-Blackberreh. **Sorry for that lol

**Chapter 3 - Birthday**

True to his word, Cloud was gone for only an hour, and during his absence I didn't snoop, despite my curiosity. It simply felt wrong, so instead I spent my time perusing the shelves, glancing through books. Usually reading didn't interest me, but most of the books I found were fascinating – so totally unlike the dry, dull wording in the Hogwarts text books and the majority of the library's books. I made a mental note to ask Cloud if I could borrow a few.

When Cloud returned he brought Chinese takeout with him. I'd never had it before – why would the Dursleys waste money on me? – And found I really enjoyed the fried rice and honey chicken. Throughout the dinner, Cloud and I discussed inane topics, and the subject of his books came up. That night, he took me back to the Dursleys again, and this time my arms were laden with a few of the fiction novels I'd borrowed.

The next morning I was outside Cloud's building (because really, he _had _to own the entire building, because nothing else seemed to be inside but things that belonged to him), and the blond was there this time. He didn't say anything, simply smiled and let me in again. He had a cup of tea on the coffee table waiting, as if he had been expecting me. I didn't question it, simply took it to be another oddity that Cloud possessed. Maybe one of his strange talents was telling the future?

That train of thought reminded me of Trelawney and the Prophecy, so I dismissed it. I didn't want to think about it.

I didn't ask about who and what he really was, just as he didn't ask why I was here, and for a few hours we sat together, Cloud going through what appeared to be paperwork and me reading one of the books I had borrowed. We talked about random things – I told him that I was going to a boarding school in Scotland (I didn't tell him that I was a wizard and that it was a school of magic – I didn't know how to say it) and that I had a few trust-worthy friends; Hermione who loved reading and learning, and Ron, who despite his flaws, was one of the best friends a guy could have. Cloud didn't tell me much about himself, but he did say that he ran his own delivery service, and didn't have many friends – just acquaintances. It sounded like a lonely life.

The same thing happened the day after that, only I brought my homework with me to complete. Cloud didn't ask what it was – he was gone for most of the day, and while I did the essays assigned I listened to some of the music in Cloud's collection. I found that I enjoyed listening to some of the classical music, and metal, surprisingly. I steered clear of the country genre though, having heard enough played by Uncle Vernon.

Three days before my birthday I mentioned the date, and how I didn't know whether I would be able to come over. I had a fear that soon the Order of the Phoenix would crack down on what I was doing, and I would be taken away from the Dursleys. While normally that would be a good thing, I wouldn't be able to see Cloud for who knows how long.

"Hey Cloud…" I started hesitantly. "I don't know if I'll be able to come here anymore after my birthday. I have a few… friends that might want me to stay with them afterwards."

Cloud, who was sitting at his desk absently tapping his pen to the beat of the soft music playing, looked up with a raised brow and said bluntly, "If you don't want to go with them then say no."

I blinked and my mouth went dry. How did he know that I didn't…? I cleared my throat and ducked my head in embarrassment. "It's not as simple as that. They want me to stay with them because they want to… Help me." More like have _me _help _them_. "I can't say no to them."

Cloud merely nodded in acceptance and went back to reading over some paperwork, and I settled back to staring at the book in my hands blankly.

The next day, Cloud wasn't at the apartment, and even though I waited outside for almost two hours, he didn't show up. I was shocked to realise how disappointed and _hurt_ I was, and after waiting for another hour, I took it as a lost cause and went back to the Dursleys. The same thing happened the day after, but I didn't wait outside Cloud's building for more than ten minutes before leaving. I tried to ignore the pain in my chest, but failed dismally, but the one thing I refused to do was cry. The next day was my birthday, and I hoped to see Cloud one more time before the Order would undoubtedly snatch me up. I really didn't want to say goodbye though.

That day was horrible for me. I went straight back to the Dursleys, and I discovered to my horror that all of them were home. Petunia was in the kitchen, probably cooking something to feed her whale of a husband and pig-like son.

I tried to sneak by them silently. I really did; my side still had a faint bruise from the last time Uncle Vernon thought I was in his way. I'd almost reached the stairs when his gruff voice called out, "boy, get your arse in here!"

Timidly I went into the living room; I was disgusted to see Vernon sprawled out on the couch in front of the television, leaving no space at all.

I stood a few feet away from the couch, well away from striking distance, and murmured as politely as I could, "Yes, Uncle Vernon?"

He didn't even have the decency to look away from the TV as he spoke, "Where have you been the past week? Petunia's been doing all the work by herself; you haven't been pulling your weight." He finally looked at me with his beady eyes, and the sickening feeling of dread filled me. I knew what was coming.

"I've been at London." I was proud when my voice didn't waver. "I didn't know that was a crime."

My Uncle stood up and the couch let out an ominous groan. I took a hesitant step back. I really should think before I speak.

)O(

Night was falling by the time I stumbled to Cloud's doorstep, and I slumped gratefully against the wall and sank down to the ground. I'd already knocked, and Cloud still wasn't back. I was worried – well and truly worried that he wasn't going to come back, and that it was because I did or said something to offend him.

I was tired, and my body ached. Vernon hadn't appreciated my comment, and the bruises covering my body attested to that. I didn't think anything was broken, but when I breathed I could feel my ribs creak painfully. Not for the first time I questioned the wisdom of Dumbledore for putting me with _them_. Sure, there were the blood wards (if there even were any), but what good were they if I wasn't even safe inside of them?

I shivered and hugged my legs to my chest, disregarding the pain and trying to warm myself up. Even though it was summer, the evenings were getting colder, and all I was wearing were Dudley's cast offs – jeans and a tattered t-shirt. I made a mental note to start buying some new clothes.

I don't know how long I stayed outside Cloud's building. I dozed a bit, only jolting awake when the traffic a street over got too loud. I knew I was leaving myself vulnerable to anything that happened to be wandering the alleys this late at night, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

I wanted Cloud.

"Harry?"

Two sets of footsteps – one heavy, accompanied with a muffled clanging, and a lighter set that picked up in speed. They stopped right beside me and I blearily opened my eyes.

It was Cloud, his face creased into a concerned frown and his eyes glowing brightly in the dark.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" His gloved hand reached down to caress my cheek, and wiped away some of the blood that still lingered there. I smiled up at him, happy that he had finally shown up.

"I was waiting for you." I murmured tiredly and leant into his hand. I could feel the warmth even through the leather. "I didn't want to stay at the Dursleys."

The blond's eyes had darkened with something I recognised as anger – no, not anger, something wilder, and for a moment I thought the pupils sharpened into snake-like slits. But it must have been my tiredness affecting my sight, so I allowed my eyes to drift shut.

Cloud's hand trailed up to my hair and he stroked it gently, causing me to shiver and lean into him. The blond let out a curse and growled, "Come on Harry, stay with me…"

"I'm 'wake." I whispered. "Not hurt. Jus' tired."

He swore again and this time I felt myself being gently lifted up and I was pressed against a firm chest. I revelled in the fact that I was being held by Cloud, my brain too foggy to be indignant about being carried like a girl. I must have dozed off for a bit, because when I opened my eyes again I was being placed gently on something soft, and Cloud's hand stroked through my hair once again.

The pain my body was in had dulled to a hot throbbing, but I could have purred at how comfortable I was.

I heard Cloud speaking, and struggled to decipher his words. I remembered faintly that he was not alone, and wondered who it was – I'd never seen Cloud in the company of someone else before, and he never talked about any of his friends and 'acquaintances'.

"Vincent, I need you to get the first aid kit. You know where it is." The blond was saying. There was a certain familiarity in his voice; maybe this Vincent was one of his few friends?

"Will he be ok?" The voice I assumed belonged to Vincent was dark and raspy, as if he didn't talk much. It was a nice voice.

"He will be. Just some bruises and scrapes from what I can tell. They just need to be cleaned up. After that, I need you to contact Genesis and arrange to set…"

Their voices became distorted, and finally I allowed myself to slip into sleep.

)O(

When I woke up, I found myself staring into a pair of unfamiliar crimson eyes.

I let out a startled gasp and bolted up from the bed, and would have head-butted the man had he not moved away, faster than I could have blinked. My vision was blurry – someone had taken my glasses and I strained my eyes to see.

"Who are you?" I demanded, clutching the sheets to my chest. It was then I realised I was practically naked, wearing only my boxers, and my face heated in mortification.

Had Cloud undressed me?

The stranger had a blank expression on his chiselled, pale face, partially obscured by his wild black hair and red cloth. If I thought Cloud wasn't normal, than this man definitely took the cake. He was dressed in a tattered red cloak and, from what I could see beneath it, black leather armour.

"Vincent Valentine." I recognised the voice faintly from last night and relaxed a little.

I asked, "Are you Cloud's friend?"

He nodded, his crimson eyes letting out a glow similar to Clouds, and said, "I'll go tell Cloud you're awake." He turned and exited the room abruptly, his cloak billowing behind him in a way that reminded me of Snape.

Vincent Valentine. Definitely not normal. I pursed my lips and plucked at the sheets. What was I going to say to Cloud? I had so many things I wanted to ask, but I didn't want to risk the chance of alienating him.

Merlin I was sounding like a love-sick puppy.

I looked around for my clothes but couldn't see them anywhere around the room, which I realised must be Cloud's bed room. Like the rest of the building it was sparsely furnished, with only the single bed I was in (oh my god, I'm in Cloud's _bed_), a dresser and closet, and… was that a sword?

It was in a stand resting against the far wall, and it was bloody enormous! Almost as big as I was tall, and it had an intricate locking mechanism which made me realise that it wasn't just one sword, but several blades fit together like a puzzle. It shone in the light that came through the bedroom window, and my fingers twitched, wanting to reach out and stroke the handle. I resisted it though, and clutched the blankets tightly.

"Are you ok Harry?"

I jumped and turned my head to see Cloud standing in the doorway, concerned. I gave him a faint smile and nodded, and the blond entered the room, gently closing the door behind him.

My mind immediately pointed out that we were completely alone in the room, with no way out, and I was practically naked.

I told it to shut up.

"What time is it?" I asked and went back to plucking at the sheets. I was too embarrassed to look the blond in the eye at the moment.

Cloud let out a quiet chuckle. "It's nearly ten in the morning, and if I remember correctly, it's your birthday too."

_My birthday?_ I blinked as the words registered. "Yeah, it is…"

He chuckled again and I froze as strong arms wrapped around my naked shoulders and my head was pressed against Cloud's firm chest.

"In that case," he murmured. "Happy birthday."

My heart stuttered in my chest and blood rushed to my cheeks. I thought I was going to pass out. I was frozen for a moment, before I forced my tense arms around his waist and relaxed. Hugs were only something I ever really received from Hermione and Mrs Weasley, and they were more smothering than anything. But this… this was comforting. And very, very warm.

I closed my eyes and relaxed completely against him. So far, it wasn't a bad birthday at all.

_TBC_


End file.
